Family of slain boy outraged shooter remains free
By the CNN Wire Staff

(CNN) -
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The family of a 17-year-old unarmed Florida boy gunned down last month is outraged that the shooter remains free.

"It's surprising. It's shocking," said Tracy Martin, father of Trayvon, shot dead in Sanford. "It lets me know that justice is just not being served here. All we want is justice for our son. We're not asking for anything out of the ordinary."

Trayvon Martin was returning from a convenience store to the home of his father's fiancee in a gated community around sunset on February 26. A neighborhood watch captain, George Zimmerman, 28, saw the teen and called 911 to report a suspicious man, authorities said.

The 911 dispatcher told Zimmerman not to confront the person, but by the time police arrived, Trayvon Martin lay dead with a gunshot wound in the chest, said Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee. The teenager was carrying a small amount of cash, some candy and an iced tea.

Zimmerman told police he shot the teen in self-defense, authorities said, and he remains free as the state attorney's office investigates the case. Police said they have not charged Zimmerman because there are no grounds to disprove his story of what happened.

The shooting has sparked outrage in the community, with some accusing Zimmerman, who is white, of profiling the black teen.

The boy's parents and the family attorney were interviewed Friday by CNN's Soledad O'Brien.

Tracy Martin told CNN that if Trayvon pulled the trigger, "he would have been arrested on the spot."

Benjamin Crump, the Martin family's attorney, said Zimmerman should have been arrested.

"He can make that self-defense argument. But that's in court with the judge and the jury after he's been arrested," he said.

Zimmerman's freedom "doesn't pass the common-sense test," Crump said. He said the police department "passed the buck" to the state attorney's office. He said there have been "other instances like this" involving the department.

"And now they are doing an investigation. So more nights go by where these parents go to bed knowing that their son is in a grave and the man who killed their son is sleeping his own bed," Crump said.

Trayvon was a normal, growing boy with a big appetite, his parents said.

"It's sad as a father to have to bury your child. As a parent, you never want to imagine about burying your kids. And for me to have to bury my son is just sad," he said.

The Martin family has sought to make the 911 tapes available, but State Attorney Norm Wolfinger said Tuesday the calls will not be made public until the investigation is complete. A gunshot can be heard on the 911 calls that night, police said.

"Trayvon Martin and his family, interested persons, and the public-at-large are entitled to no less than a thorough, deliberate and just review of the information provided, along with any other evidence that may or may not be developed in the course of the review process," Wolfinger's office said in a statement. "We intend to honor that commitment."

Numerous CNN attempts to contact Zimmerman were unsuccessful, and it is unclear whether he has retained an attorney.

"The evidence and testimony we have so far does not establish that Mr. Zimmerman did not act in self-defense. We don't have anything to dispute his claim of self-defense, at this point, with the evidence and testimony that we have," said Lee, the police chief.

Lee said the 911 directions asking Zimmerman not to confront the teenager are not mandatory instructions.

"That is a call taker making a recommendation to him. He's not under a legal obligation to do that, so that is not something we can charge him with," he said. "But it would have been a good outcome ... if Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman never came in contact with one another."

In a letter sent to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People expressed doubt in the Sanford Police Department and asked the Justice Department to review the case.

"The NAACP has no confidence that, absent federal oversight, the Sanford Police Department will devote the necessary degree of care to its investigation," the letter said. "We therefore call upon you to detail personnel to Sanford immediately to review the facts, ensure that the Sanford Police Department conducts an impartial, thorough and prompt investigation of the circumstances involving the death of this unarmed teen, and ensure that the responsible person is held accountable if a crime was committed."

That is what got him got, never carry around Iced Tea in the hood out in the open in the southern U.S.......or grape drank.

All kidding aside I know I am going to get hell for this but minorities although their actions and the way they live brings much of it on themselves, the court system does seem to screw them more often than it does whites. Stats show that it's not even my opinion really. We are only sixty or so years removed from the civil rights movement......people that still hold high positions of authority think of blacks as being different down in the deep south, I see the shit with my own eyes and ears so you can't tell me what I see myself is not true.
Anyway bring on the hate I ain't skeered.

Like I said above their way of life brings some of the dislike on but much of it is born into you and passed down from elders here in the deep south........their gangsta mentality sure the fuck does not help their cause though but that is an entirely separate subject.

__________________
"'Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.' And I have always wished that for myself." - Steve Jobs

It sounds like total bullshit, the white guy walking around with a gun, shooting an unarmed kid with candy in his pocket. And they say since they can't tell if it's not self defense, he gets off Scott free? If the tables were turned, you know it would be different.

Not excusing black boys from sometimes living up to the thug reputation and acting dumb, but it's not an excuse for this.

I agree it would likely be a different story today if roles were reversed. The guy is a Neighborhood Watch captain, sounds like he was already paranoid to begin with. Seeing a black man he doesn't recognize in his gated community probably spooked him, he probably confronted the kid with "What's you business here?" and if the kid got lippy, things can easily escalate in any street regardless if its gated or in the urban hood.

Gated community has to have security cameras. Something has to be on tape, I would think.

Family of slain boy outraged shooter remains free
By the CNN Wire Staff

(CNN) -
A A A (resize font)
The family of a 17-year-old unarmed Florida boy gunned down last month is outraged that the shooter remains free.

"It's surprising. It's shocking," said Tracy Martin, father of Trayvon, shot dead in Sanford. "It lets me know that justice is just not being served here. All we want is justice for our son. We're not asking for anything out of the ordinary."

Trayvon Martin was returning from a convenience store to the home of his father's fiancee in a gated community around sunset on February 26. A neighborhood watch captain, George Zimmerman, 28, saw the teen and called 911 to report a suspicious man, authorities said.

The 911 dispatcher told Zimmerman not to confront the person, but by the time police arrived, Trayvon Martin lay dead with a gunshot wound in the chest, said Sanford Police Chief Bill Lee. The teenager was carrying a small amount of cash, some candy and an iced tea.

Zimmerman told police he shot the teen in self-defense, authorities said, and he remains free as the state attorney's office investigates the case. Police said they have not charged Zimmerman because there are no grounds to disprove his story of what happened.

The shooting has sparked outrage in the community, with some accusing Zimmerman, who is white, of profiling the black teen.

The boy's parents and the family attorney were interviewed Friday by CNN's Soledad O'Brien.

Tracy Martin told CNN that if Trayvon pulled the trigger, "he would have been arrested on the spot."

Benjamin Crump, the Martin family's attorney, said Zimmerman should have been arrested.

"He can make that self-defense argument. But that's in court with the judge and the jury after he's been arrested," he said.

Zimmerman's freedom "doesn't pass the common-sense test," Crump said. He said the police department "passed the buck" to the state attorney's office. He said there have been "other instances like this" involving the department.

"And now they are doing an investigation. So more nights go by where these parents go to bed knowing that their son is in a grave and the man who killed their son is sleeping his own bed," Crump said.

Trayvon was a normal, growing boy with a big appetite, his parents said.

"It's sad as a father to have to bury your child. As a parent, you never want to imagine about burying your kids. And for me to have to bury my son is just sad," he said.

The Martin family has sought to make the 911 tapes available, but State Attorney Norm Wolfinger said Tuesday the calls will not be made public until the investigation is complete. A gunshot can be heard on the 911 calls that night, police said.

"Trayvon Martin and his family, interested persons, and the public-at-large are entitled to no less than a thorough, deliberate and just review of the information provided, along with any other evidence that may or may not be developed in the course of the review process," Wolfinger's office said in a statement. "We intend to honor that commitment."

Numerous CNN attempts to contact Zimmerman were unsuccessful, and it is unclear whether he has retained an attorney.

"The evidence and testimony we have so far does not establish that Mr. Zimmerman did not act in self-defense. We don't have anything to dispute his claim of self-defense, at this point, with the evidence and testimony that we have," said Lee, the police chief.

Lee said the 911 directions asking Zimmerman not to confront the teenager are not mandatory instructions.

"That is a call taker making a recommendation to him. He's not under a legal obligation to do that, so that is not something we can charge him with," he said. "But it would have been a good outcome ... if Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman never came in contact with one another."

In a letter sent to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People expressed doubt in the Sanford Police Department and asked the Justice Department to review the case.

"The NAACP has no confidence that, absent federal oversight, the Sanford Police Department will devote the necessary degree of care to its investigation," the letter said. "We therefore call upon you to detail personnel to Sanford immediately to review the facts, ensure that the Sanford Police Department conducts an impartial, thorough and prompt investigation of the circumstances involving the death of this unarmed teen, and ensure that the responsible person is held accountable if a crime was committed."

What a bullshit story, the shooter isn't even White.

Guess these idiots have to lie about the facts to get idiots to fall for it

The Sanford Neighborhood Watch volunteer who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager, did not instigate the encounter but has received death threats and moved out of his home, his father told the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday.

George Zimmerman, 28, has not been arrested, something that has put him and the Sanford Police Department at the center of a firestorm. Critics say Trayvon, who was visiting family from his home in Miami, was a victim of racial profiling.

Zimmerman's father, 64-year-old Robert Zimmerman of Lake Mary, delivered a one-page letter to the Sentinel on Thursday, saying that the depiction of his son in the media has been cruel and misleading.

George Zimmerman is Hispanic and grew up in a multiracial family, the statement says.

"He would be the last to discriminate for any reason whatsoever ...," the letter says. "The media portrayal of George as a racist could not be further from the truth."

The letter does not provide details about what happened Feb. 26 on a walkway in the gated community where George Zimmerman lives and where Trayvon was visiting. But it does challenge one basic assumption of the family's lawyers: that Zimmerman's intent when he got out of his sport utility vehicle was to confront Trayvon after calling police to report a suspicious person.

"At no time did George follow or confront Mr. Martin. When the true details of the event became public, and I hope that will be soon," the letter said, "everyone should be outraged by the treatment of George Zimmerman in the media."

Police have released little information about what happened that night and no details about how Trayvon and Zimmerman came to be face to face.

No one disputes that Zimmerman called police from his SUV, then left it and encountered Trayvon on foot as the teenager returned from a 7-Eleven candy run.

Before an officer arrived, Trayvon and Zimmerman got into a fight, according to police, and witnesses heard one or both calling for help, and Zimmerman shot Trayvon once with a 9 mm handgun.

Zimmerman told police he acted in self-defense. Police found blood on his face and the back of his head as well as grass on the back of his shirt.

That jibes with what Cheryl Brown's teenage son witnessed while walking his dog that night. Thirteen-year-old Austin stepped out his front door and heard people fighting, he told the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday.

It was dark, and the boy did not see how the fight started, in fact, he only saw one person, a man in a red shirt — Zimmerman — who was on the ground.

The boy said he is not sure who called for help. After a moment, his dog escaped, and he turned to catch it and a few seconds later heard a gunshot, he said.

"When I heard the shot, the screaming stopped," he said.

He then rushed inside and told his sister to call police.

In his letter, Robert Zimmerman wrote that what happened that night was "tragic … and very sad for all concerned. The Martin family, our family and the entire community have been forever changed."

George Zimmerman has not talked publicly about what happened, his father said, because that's the advice police gave him. Both Zimmerman families have moved out of their homes, at least temporarily, Robert Zimmerman said, because they've received death threats.

Police on Tuesday turned the case over to the State Attorney's Office, saying they did not have evidence to justify George Zimmerman's arrest on a charge of manslaughter.

Prosecutors will now likely spend several weeks studying the case before making a decision on whether to charge Zimmerman.

Sanford police Chief Bill Lee Jr. told the Sentinel on Thursday night that he has invited the U.S. Department of Justice and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to review the investigation.

"It's an open book," Lee said. "If they want to look at what we did and how we did it and what information we have, they're welcome to it."

The FDLE has received a letter from the State Attorney's Office asking agents to review the case, spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said.

Sanford police on Thursday also challenged a WFTV-Channel 9 report, in which Mary Cutcher said police largely ignored her even though she told them, "I know this was not self-defense. There was no punching, no hitting going on at the time, no wrestling."

Police said they twice tried to interview her without success, and the third time, she wrote a very short sworn statement for her roommate that was consistent with Zimmerman's account.

More than 400 people gathered Wednesday at a Sanford church, where black community leaders and Baltimore evangelist Jamal Bryant again demanded that Zimmerman be arrested.

Some of Trayvon's family members are expected to be a news conference this morning called by Orlando attorney Natalie Jackson, who is representing the family.

Another rally is scheduled for Monday outside the Seminole County Courthouse. And a call has been issued for people to rally March 26 during the Sanford City Council meeting

The Sanford Neighborhood Watch volunteer who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager, did not instigate the encounter but has received death threats and moved out of his home, his father told the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday.

George Zimmerman, 28, has not been arrested, something that has put him and the Sanford Police Department at the center of a firestorm. Critics say Trayvon, who was visiting family from his home in Miami, was a victim of racial profiling.

Zimmerman's father, 64-year-old Robert Zimmerman of Lake Mary, delivered a one-page letter to the Sentinel on Thursday, saying that the depiction of his son in the media has been cruel and misleading.

George Zimmerman is Hispanic and grew up in a multiracial family, the statement says.

"He would be the last to discriminate for any reason whatsoever ...," the letter says. "The media portrayal of George as a racist could not be further from the truth."

The letter does not provide details about what happened Feb. 26 on a walkway in the gated community where George Zimmerman lives and where Trayvon was visiting. But it does challenge one basic assumption of the family's lawyers: that Zimmerman's intent when he got out of his sport utility vehicle was to confront Trayvon after calling police to report a suspicious person.

"At no time did George follow or confront Mr. Martin. When the true details of the event became public, and I hope that will be soon," the letter said, "everyone should be outraged by the treatment of George Zimmerman in the media."

Police have released little information about what happened that night and no details about how Trayvon and Zimmerman came to be face to face.

No one disputes that Zimmerman called police from his SUV, then left it and encountered Trayvon on foot as the teenager returned from a 7-Eleven candy run.

Before an officer arrived, Trayvon and Zimmerman got into a fight, according to police, and witnesses heard one or both calling for help, and Zimmerman shot Trayvon once with a 9 mm handgun.

Zimmerman told police he acted in self-defense. Police found blood on his face and the back of his head as well as grass on the back of his shirt.

That jibes with what Cheryl Brown's teenage son witnessed while walking his dog that night. Thirteen-year-old Austin stepped out his front door and heard people fighting, he told the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday.

It was dark, and the boy did not see how the fight started, in fact, he only saw one person, a man in a red shirt — Zimmerman — who was on the ground.

The boy said he is not sure who called for help. After a moment, his dog escaped, and he turned to catch it and a few seconds later heard a gunshot, he said.

"When I heard the shot, the screaming stopped," he said.

He then rushed inside and told his sister to call police.

In his letter, Robert Zimmerman wrote that what happened that night was "tragic … and very sad for all concerned. The Martin family, our family and the entire community have been forever changed."

George Zimmerman has not talked publicly about what happened, his father said, because that's the advice police gave him. Both Zimmerman families have moved out of their homes, at least temporarily, Robert Zimmerman said, because they've received death threats.

Police on Tuesday turned the case over to the State Attorney's Office, saying they did not have evidence to justify George Zimmerman's arrest on a charge of manslaughter.

Prosecutors will now likely spend several weeks studying the case before making a decision on whether to charge Zimmerman.

Sanford police Chief Bill Lee Jr. told the Sentinel on Thursday night that he has invited the U.S. Department of Justice and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to review the investigation.

"It's an open book," Lee said. "If they want to look at what we did and how we did it and what information we have, they're welcome to it."

The FDLE has received a letter from the State Attorney's Office asking agents to review the case, spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said.

Sanford police on Thursday also challenged a WFTV-Channel 9 report, in which Mary Cutcher said police largely ignored her even though she told them, "I know this was not self-defense. There was no punching, no hitting going on at the time, no wrestling."

Police said they twice tried to interview her without success, and the third time, she wrote a very short sworn statement for her roommate that was consistent with Zimmerman's account.

More than 400 people gathered Wednesday at a Sanford church, where black community leaders and Baltimore evangelist Jamal Bryant again demanded that Zimmerman be arrested.

Some of Trayvon's family members are expected to be a news conference this morning called by Orlando attorney Natalie Jackson, who is representing the family.

Another rally is scheduled for Monday outside the Seminole County Courthouse. And a call has been issued for people to rally March 26 during the Sanford City Council meeting

It will be an interesting case, I hope the media follows up. Hey, I'm happy if it's not a white guy who shot the kid, but it very well could still be racism or the cops and this guy covering up the facts.